Imitation cigar



March 20, 1951 G. KARDOS 2,545,851

IMITATION CIGAR Filed Jan. 26, 1949 IN VEN TOR. GENE Kqznos fiTra A/ y Patented Mar. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present invention is directed to toys, more specifically to an illuminated toy in the form of a cigar, cigarette, or the like.

As is well known, children imitate their elders and they are intensely interested in smoking. To satisfy'such interest,'there have been on the markey toy cigarettes or the like made of candy and intended to be eaten. There have also been-on the market imitation cigars and cigarettes which could be handled by children somewhat similarly to a genuine cigar or cigarette; However, all such toys have not fully satisfied the desires of the children as in the case of the candy cigarette, it was soon eaten, and in the caseof the imitation, it did not have the appearance'and did not give the effects of a real cigar or cigarette;

The present invention is intendedand adapted to overcome the disadvantages inherent in prior toys of the character described, it being'among the objects of the present invention to provide a toycigar, cigarette or the like which almost exactly simulates a genuine article of this kind.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a toy, of the character described which will provide action when it is properlyheld or placed in the mouth, and which will simulate the smoking of a cigar, a cigarette or thelike.

In practicing thepresent invention, there is provided a hollow body shaped as desired, as for instance in the shape of a cigar, having a mouthpiece at one end which may be of smaller diameter than the body and, may be flattened. The pposite end of the body is .made translucent or practically transparent and is suitably colored so as to simulate the ashes on. the end of a cigar.

Within the hollow body is placed a small battery or dry cell with its axis practically coinciding with the axis of the body and centrally located therein. Within the opposite end of the body is an electric light bulb having its central electrode making contact with thecentral' electrode of the battery. A wire connected to the other terminal or electrode of the bulb extends between the body and the battery to the mouthpiece of the cigar without normally touching the battery of itself. Insulation for the surface of the battery is removed at a middle portionthereof so as to allow contact of the wire with the middle portion when pressure is applied. Also the insulation is removed from the end of the battery adjacent. to the mouthpiece to similarlyallow contact of-the wire therewithxwhen the'mouthpiece is pressed.

In use, the child may hold the cigar at its middle portion and by pressing on thewire to contact with the outer surface of the battery, will close the lamp circuit and cause a flash, which will appear to the observer as a momentary glow quite similar to the glow in a cigar when the smoker puffs on it. Also, when the child has the mouthpiece in its mouth and presses thereon, the circuit will be closed and similarly there will be a flash at the opposite end.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a toy cigar made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section taken through the axis'of the toy cigar;

Fig.3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken through the cigar shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a cigarette made in accordance with the present invention.

With reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is provided a hollow body I shaped like a cigar and suitably colored to imitate the texture of a wrapper leaf. One-end 2 is of smaller diameter and is somewhat flattened to form the mouthpiece of the cigar. The extreme end 3 thereof may be closed or opened.

At the opposite end 4, the body of the cigar is made of translucent material such as glassine paper, cellophane, or the like and it is colored to resemble ashes; The end 5 of this portion is closed.

Centrally located in body I is a cylindrical cell or battery 6 having its central electrode I at end 4. An electric light bulb 8 has its central electrode suitably attached to electrode l. A wire Sis attached to the outer electrode of the lamp in any suitable manner and it extends as shown at I0 between body I and battery 6. The wire at point II is adjacent to corner I2 of the battery which is adjacent to the mouthpiece. The extreme end I3 of the wire terminates within mouthpiece 2. The wire is made of resilient material and normally there is no contact between the battery and the wire.

Battery Bis provided with insulation at I4 between the central part and corner I2. It is also provided with insulation at I5 adjacent the outer end of the cigar.

When the userpresses on the central part of the cigar body, portion [6 of the wire contacts the central part of battery 5, closing the circuit and lighting lamp 8 while the pressure is maintained. When'pressure is released the circuit is broken and the bulb is extinguished. When the user presses mouthpiece -2 in his mouth and presses with the lips or teeth, portion II of the 3 wire is brought down into contact with corner l2 of the battery and closes the circuit, lighting bulb 8. When pressure is released, contact is broken and the bulb extinguished.

Although the invention has been described setting forth the specific embodiments thereof, such embodiments do not limit the invention but are intended to illustrate it.. Various changes in the details may be made within the scope of the invention, as for example, the form of the device may be other than a cigar or cigarette, namely, a pipe. In place of Wire 9, other equivalent devices for accomplishing the closing of the circuit at various points may be provided. In some cases, switches might be used.

Other elements may be added to the struc ture in order to modify it, as for example, one may introduce a grey powder into the device to simulate smoke. This may be accomplished by providing a bellows, preferably of triangular shape with the apex toward end 3 and adapted to be compressed by pressure on the mouthpiece. A mass of powder in a suitable receptacle may be placed in end 4 with a connection tothe bellows and an exit opening through end 5. Thereby when the child puffs at the cigar, smoke will issue from the illuminated end thereof.

These and other changes in the details of the construction may be made within the spirit thereof and the invention is, therefore, to be broadly construed and not to be limited except by the character of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow body of the approximate size and shape of a cigar, one end thereof being approximately cylindrical, the other end being flattened and constituting a mouthpiece, a translucent member at said cylindrical end colored to resemble ashes, a cylindrical dry cell centrally disposed Within said body, an electric lamp in said cylindrical end at the adjacent end of said dry cell and electrically connected to the central terminal thereof, the opposite end of said dry cell terminating short of said mouthpiece, a wire extending from said lamp rearwardly along said dry cell and into said mouthpiece, said opposite end of said dry cell being free from insulation, the rear of said wire normally out of contact with said opposite end, said lamp and all of the ele ments included within the electrical circuit for said lamp being completely enclosed within said hollow body, whereby pressure on said mouthpiece causes contact of said wire with said free end to close the lamp circuit and cause said cylindrical end to glow.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow body of the approximate size and shape of a cigar, one end thereof being approximately cylindrical, the other end being flattened and constituting a mouthpiece, a translucent member at said cylindrical end colored to resemble ashes, a cylindrical dry cell centrally disposed within said body, an electric lamp in said cylindrical end at the adjacent end of said dry cell and electrically connected to the central terminal thereof, the opposite end of said dry cell terminating short of said mouthpiece, a wire extending from said lamp rearwardly along said dry cell and into said mouthpiece, said opposite end of said dry cell being free from insulation, the rear of said wire normally out of contact with said opposite end, said lamp and all of the elements included within the electrical circuit for said lamp being completely enclosed within said hollow body, whereby pressure on said mouthpiece causes contact of said wire with said free end to close the lamp circuit and cause said cylindrical end to glow, an intermediate portion of said dry cell in proximity to said Wire being free from insulation, whereby pressure on the central portion of said body causes closing of said lamp circuit.

3. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow body of the approximate size and shape of a cigar, one end thereof being approximately cylindrical, the other end being flattened and constituting a mouthpiece, a translucent member at said cylindrical end colored to resemble ashes, said member having an end cap and an annular side portion which are translucent, a cylindrical dry cell centrally disposed within said body, an electric lamp in said cylindrical end at the adjacent end of said dry cell and electrically connected to the central terminal thereof, the opposite end of said dry cell terminating short of said mouthpiece, a wire extending from said lamp rearwardly along said dry cell and into said mouthpiece, said opposite end of said dry cell being free from insulation, the rear of said wire normally out of contact with said opposite end, said lamp and all of the elements included within the electrical circuit for said lamp being completely enclosed within said hollow body, whereby pressure on said mouthpiece causes contact of said wire with said free end to close the lamp circuit and cause said cylindrical end to glow.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a hollow body of the approximate size and shape of a cigar, one end thereof being approximately cylindrical, the other end being flattened and constituting a mouthpiece, a translucent member at said cylindrical end colored to resemble ashes, a cylindrical dry cell centrally disposed within said body, an electric lamp in said cylindrical end at the adjacent end of said battery and electrically connected to the central terminal thereof, the opposite end of said battery'terminating within said mouthpiece, a conductor extending from said lamp rearwardly along said battery and into said mouthpiece. said opposite end of said dry cell being free from insulation, the rear of said conductor normally out of electrical contact with said dry cell, said lamp and all of the elements included within the electrical circuit for said lamp being completely enclosed within said hollow body, whereby pressure on said mouthpiece causes contact of said wire with said free end to close the lamp circuit and cause said cylindrical end to glow.

GENE KARDOS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES American Machinist, Feb. 16, 1899, pp. 31-133. 

